


Playing Games

by sammysouffle



Category: Hollyoaks
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Drunk James, Drunkenness, Flirting, Fluff, Gen, Jealousy, Liam Lives, M/M, flirty James
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:35:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23459482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sammysouffle/pseuds/sammysouffle
Summary: James and PC Kiss meet up at an event at The Loft and hit it off. But things take a turn for the worse...
Relationships: George Kiss & James Nightingale, George Kiss/James Nightingale, James Nightingale/Liam Donovan
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

Weddings, receptions, engagement parties, they were never his scene. So he is not quite sure why people keep inviting him to these things. If it weren’t for the fact that one of the partners at his firm was the one engaged to be married, James wouldn’t even be here. He would just have to get through the night with minimal social interactions and copious amounts of alcohol. 

“Sauvignon Blanc please,” he offers the man behind the bar, Liam Donovan, his best smile as he orders the drink. 

Donovan barely acknowledges him, just announces albeit loudly, “The most boring wine in the world, coming up.” 

James’ smile turns sour and he glares at the retreating back of the club’s owner. 

“Ouch.” He hears an unfamiliar laugh beside him. The music is so loud in here that if it weren’t for the fact that the man was sitting right beside him, he wouldn’t even have heard him. “That’s got to sting,” the man says, closer to James’ ear now. 

James throws him an annoyed look when the sense of recognition hits him. “You’re that new police officer, aren’t you?” 

“George Kiss,” the PC introduces himself, offering James a hand. 

James looks at the proffered hand and then back at the man before taking it. “James-” 

“Nightingale. Yes, the snarky solicitor who tore me a new one for arresting his sister.” 

James chuckles at that. He takes his hand back and sits down beside the officer. Maybe the night doesn’t have to be as abhorrent as he thought it would be. “One in the same,” he announces, taking a sip of his drink when its put in front of him. This time he makes sure to absolutely dismiss Liam Donovan’s presence. “Must I say, you clean up nice, Police Constable.” From the uniform to the light grey suit with a white shirt sans tie, he could really pull both looks off. 

“You can call me George,” the PC offers him a smile that he’s sure melts the hearts of many-a men and women. But James is not one of them. 

James hears someone clear their throat followed by a, “Would you like to pay for that now or are you opening a tab?” 

James throws Liam Donovan an annoyed look. Instead of replying, he goes to pull out his wallet, only to be stopped with a hand over his. 

“I got this,” the PC- George- offers. 

“Wow, that’s quite generous of you,” James says with a hint of surprise in his voice. 

“You’re the only person I remotely know around here,” the PC shrugs handing a couple of bills over to Liam Donovan. “Maybe I don’t want you to leave.” 

“Trying to buy me into having a conversation,” James teases, taking a sip of his wine. “I don’t come that cheap.” 

“Well, I wasn’t planning on buying you just one drink.” 

Taken aback by the PC’s quip, James raises an eyebrow in his direction. “Smooth, officer, really smooth.” 

“Smooth is my middle name.” 

“With a surname like Kiss, I wouldn’t be surprised if your middle name WAS actually ‘Smooth.’” 

“Touche,” the officer chuckles raising his beer. 

James feels eyes on him and looks behind the bar to find Liam Donovan giving him an indiscernible look before moving away to serve the other guests. 

***

So it turns out PC Kiss isn’t as boring as James thought him to be. He could hold out on his own and come back with quips that didn’t quite make James laugh but at least let out an appreciative huff. True to his words, the officer keeps the wines coming all night. James won’t deny, it does feel good to be the one treated for once. The PC- George as he likes to keep reminding James to call him- opens up as the night moves on and he gets more bottles of Stella Artois in him. James feels a nice buzz too but the alcohol plus the crowd around him makes him feel hot and forces him to lose his suit jacket.

“Whoa…” 

He hears the surprise in George’s voice as he rolls up his sleeves, “What?” 

James feels the officer’s warm breath against his ear as he whispers, “Just when I thought you couldn’t get any hotter.” 

Taken slightly aback by the comment, James throws a quick glance behind the bar before turning his attention back on the PC. He knows he shouldn’t lead the man on, but he couldn’t help himself. “I am sure you could do a lot better than that, officer.” 

George chuckles and bumps their knees together. “Not when I’m half drunk out of my mind.” He leans in close to James’ ear again. “But even in my current state of inebriation, I am still a police officer, who can tell that your interest lies elsewhere,” he throws a brief nod towards the bar. 

James follows his gaze to find Liam Donovan chatting up one of the other guests. A man who is practically leaning across the bar and about to fall right onto Liam’s lips. A spike of anger rises through James’ body and he knocks back the rest of his wine in one go. 

“Ah… so my deductions were correct,” says the PC. 

James ignores him and intently watches Liam as he winks at the man and moves on to serve his next customer. The woman smirks and runs her long finger down Liam’s face who seems to revel in the attention and flirts back shamelessly. “Excuse me, can I have a whiskey. Double,” he orders, calling over a different bartender. 

“Mixing your drinks, are you sure that’s a good idea?” asks George. 

“What are you, my mother?” James snaps, throwing him a glare. 

That doesn’t seem to deter the officer whose lips simply twitch into another smirk. “The way I see it,  _ Mr. Nightingale _ , you can either sit here and moon over a man who is clearly interested in everyone at this party except you or you could join me on the dance floor and put that buzz you’ve built up throughout the night to good use… and then maybe,  _ maybe  _ we can get out of here at the end of the night and keep this party going at my place.” 

James knocks back the whiskey and throws a couple of bills on the counter. “Get me another,” he orders the bartender. “Fine. One more then I am all yours PC Kiss Kiss.” He slurs giving the officer what he is sure is a sloppy smile. As he attempts to get off the stool, James almost loses his balances. 

“Oh, whoa, careful.” Hands wrap around his bicep to steady him at the same time, James catches onto the counter to keep himself from falling. 

Another glass of whiskey is put in front of him, which James excitedly goes to grab but it disappears from right before his eyes. “Hey!” he complains and looks up to see who had the audacity to steal his drink. 

He finds _ Liam Donovan  _ nursing the drink against his chest while glaring at him. “I think you have had enough for the night, James.” 

“No!” James argues. He pulls his arm out of the officer’s grip and attempts to lean over the counter to get his drink back but Liam Donovan, the evil bastard that he is, moves it further away from his reach. “Give it back!” he whines. Gravity goes missing from under his feet against and he almost falls back, and this time arms wrap around his waist to steady him. 

“Do you think you could avoid making a move on him while he is intoxicated, officer?” Liam Donovan looks angry. It brings some sort of satisfaction to James. He would also like to acknowledge just how much more handsome the man looks when he is angry. 

“I am not making a move, I am merely giving him support so that he doesn’t fall,” PC Kiss Kiss informs Liam. 

James leans against the PC and lays his head down on what he assumes is his shoulder. “My hero,” he says giddily. 

“James, come on. I’ll take you home.” James hears Liam say but he huffs and rubs his head against the officer’s clothes. He’s warm James notices. 

“Do you offer to drop off all of your drunk patrons or only the ones you know want you and you would like to take advantage of in their inebriated state?” 

“You-” 

“Let’s dance!” James announces and grabs George’s hand, dragging him towards the dance floor, before Liam can respond. 

James is not much of a dancer. He has never been. But right now, with haywire senses and his lowered inhibitions, he can let loose. James throws his arms around the officer’s neck as the officer wraps his arms around his waist and pulls him closer. Their bodies sway together to the loud, electronic music, James has never heard before. James feels lips against the column of his neck, “I want to fuck you so bad.” James suddenly feels a lot more sober but before he can say anything, those lips find their way to his own. Frozen in spot, he doesn’t quite understand what is going on. He doesn’t respond to the insistent tongue against his lips. 

“OI! Get off him!” 

Much to James’ relief, George pulls away -or is rather pulled away- from him. “How  _ dare  _ kiss my boyfriend?” Everything goes silent around him. 

Through his blurred vision, James can see Liam standing in front of him with his hands grasping onto the officer’s jacket. 

“What? I didn’t-’ George starts to say 

“You didn’t what huh?” Liam growls, shaking the poor officer. 

“Liam! Let him go! He’s the police!” Grace suddenly appears out of nowhere as she always does and pulls Liam away. 

“I don’t care!” Liam argues moving towards George again who doesn’t back down either. 

“Well, I do! Now stop. You’re creating a scene,” Grace scolds him. 

Liam looks like he’s about to go at the officer again but he doesn’t. Instead, James’ finds his own hand grasped into a tight, painful grip. “Come on! I am taking you home,” Liam announces dragging James behind him. 

Cold air hits James’ body when they’re out, making him shiver slightly. That’s when he remembers that he left his jacket in the club. Before James can say anything, he finds himself pushed against a hard, brick wall. “Ah!” He lets out a pained sound when a heavy body presses against his own. 

“What was that?” Liam demands. 

James gulps in response. Even in the dark, he can see the way Liam’s bright blue eyes have turned dark. “Need I remind you, you are the one who challenged me? Told me you never got jealous.” James reminds him. 

Liam presses James’ arms against the wall and leans in closer. “I don’t. Never have before. But today when I saw that Police Constable all over you, it took everything I had in me to keep myself from putting a bullet between his eyes.” 

Liam’s lips are on his before James can say anything. But he melts into the kiss and lets himself respond to this one. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Monday and George ventures out to Salon de The in search of James but instead finds Marnie and John Paul

_ Salon deThe  _ is not the type of coffee shop, George would usually find himself in, but he came in here today in the hopes that he would run into James at his mother’s establishment. This seemed like a neutral ground to speak with him. He doesn’t find James but does find John Paul speaking with Marnie at the till. 

“Look at what the cat dragged in,” John Paul says teasingly. “Heard you had an  _ eventful  _ night Saturday.” 

George uncomfortably scratches the back of his head, “You heard about that?” 

“Oh, the whole village heard,” John Paul replies sympathetically. “You had some nerve making a move on James at Liam’s pub. Right in front of him. That’s either the bravest or the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.”

“I thought they broke up.” 

Marnie huffs loudly and dramatically, “Alas, if only! My son and his…  _ lover,”  _ she visibly cringes at the idea of Liam Donovan being her son’s lover. “They break up every week and much to my disdain get back together by the end of the week. But if you were actually successful in breaking them up for good, I would have cast my grandchildren aside and named YOU the coowner of my patisserie” 

George is taken aback by the bold statement but it only goes to show just how much Marnie Nightingale despises her son’s relationship. 

“I will hold you to that,” George jokes winking at the woman. “Where is James anyway?” 

“Where else,” Marnie replies with a little too much disappointment. “My boy hasn’t been home since Saturday night. That- that demon is probably holding him hostage.” 

“I could do a wellness check on him if you’d like?” George offers. 

“If I were you, PC Kiss, I would stay away from the Donovan residence and especially from James for as long as possible,” John Paul chimes in. “Now come on, I will walk you to the police station in case Liam tries to run you over or something on your way there.” 

“You do realize I am a police officer very much capable of taking care of myself, right?” George reminds him, though the gesture does warm his heart. 

“Yes, I am aware, but having been already tossed in the back of his van once, I am also very much aware of what Liam Donovan is capable of.” 

George doesn’t argue after that and quietly follows John Paul out of the patisserie. 

**Author's Note:**

> In case you couldn't tell already, I like using PC Kiss to rile Liam up despite the fact that they never met when he was alive. *shrug*


End file.
